Beauty and Organization for the Budget-Conscious Girl

June Purchases

June was such a busy month! It seemed like everyone was wanting to throw parties or get together. Things have slowed down just a bit and we’re well into July now, so I’ve been able to gather all my favorite purchases from last month for this post! I’ve got a NYX haul and some things from this super cute shop called Ban.dō that I can’t wait to share with you guys. I think I’ll be set for awhile, which is good because I’m participating in “No Buy July.” I talked a little bit about it in this post here. So far it’s going great! I haven’t bought a single fashion or beauty item and my bank account is thanking me!

To start, I’m going to talk about all the NYX items I got! There was a sale at Ulta and I just couldn’t resist. I got so much NYX stuff in June and I talked about the first set of items here. Now onto to the second set!

I’ve used all of this stuff at least once since it came in the mail on the 3rd (it was actually bought in June, so well within the rules of no buy July!). I honestly don’t think I can pick a favorite because they’re all great products! The butter balms are fantastic for everyday wear when you don’t want something that stands out too much. The tan one (Marshmallow) is more subtle than the pink one (Brownie). The butter gloss is the shade “Red Velvet” and the lip cream is “Sydney.” Both are colors that are brighter and bolder than what I’m used to wearing, but they are amazing! Sydney is a cool, bright pink and Red Velvet is a bright red. The lip primer is a product I wish I would’ve bought years ago! It helps any of my lip glosses or creams go on smoother and it lessens the appearance of the lines on my lips–something I need desperately. I will say I was a bit weary when I opened the jar of concealer and saw how orange the pigment is. It’s not crazy or anything, but it is a lot different from my skin tone. However, when I put it on under my eyes, it blends perfectly and covers the circles under my eyes wonderfully. The HD blush in “Soft Spoken” is great too. I’m definitely going to be using it as an everyday blush because it’s subtle, as the name suggests.

These items were picked up at Walmart early on in the month of June, somewhat on a whim. My absolute favorite of this bunch is the Infallible Matte foundation in “Classic Ivory.” It fits my skin tone perfectly, blends incredibly easily, feels so lightweight on my skin, and it definitely stays on all day! This is my first and probably only foundation I’ll get. I’m so glad I picked this as my first one to try because I was hesitant about using any foundation. This one cleared my worries. The matte lip color is the shade “Wine.” At first, I didn’t like the way it went on or looked. However, after I used my NYX lip primer, the color worked much better for me. It was even and smooth. I’m quickly getting accustomed to having red lips. The High Definition Powder isn’t anything that blew me away. I think I just prefer powders that have a little bit of coverage instead of translucent ones. The product itself is good though.

I love these samples I got from Ulta! The Porefessional primer from Benefit is amazing. It goes on so smooth and I found that it helped my makeup stay smooth on specific problem areas of my skin. I definitely want to get a tube of this once July is over. The Hask Argan Oil shampoo and conditioner are great products as well. I’m not sure if I like them better than my OGX argan oil shampoo and conditioner, but I know that they work at least just as well. I have one more go with these samples, so I’ll be able to evaluate them a little more.

This was favorite purchase from last month. I seriously cannot get over how cute these items are! From left to right I have a Bando classic agenda, a rough draft notebook, and a sticker book. Sitting on top of the notebook is the “Supercute Heart Necklace.” I got one for my best friend as well, but already gave it to her. The agenda has a month and week view, cute intro pages at the beginning of each month, tabs on the side, spaces for important dates, notes, etc and it has its own sticker page as well! The first date on it is July 27th, but I’ve already put down my friends wedding in August with some cute wedding stickers! I’ve already started using my notebook as well for notes on my senior thesis research (yuck…school in summer). There are so many more items I want in the Bando shop, like the thermal mug, folders, and highlighters, but I have to have patience and not empty my bank account on them! June was a busy and expensive month, hopefully July will be less so!

What do you guys think about these purchases? Do you own any of the same items or are they on your wishlist? Comment below!